There is a good amount of material on these on youtube, forums and so on.  An Amazon seller called Green Blob has a popular and highly rated Atlas BT-10 knock off LINK   The reviews on Amazon and YouTube alike rave about what a great deal the Green Blob Atlas knock off is, selling for about $65.

Any educated consumer will know that Mr. Blob is not making these in his garage, but rather buying them from one of the many Chinese distributors off a site like DH Gate - Atlas Bipod Clones for $35 a piece and selling them for a healthy profit on Amazon and eBay.

Does anyone here have any experience with any of these Chinese clones?  Are there multiple companies in China making these knock-offs, and thus they are not all the same quality?  When you look at the variety available here some small differences are visible in the photos (does not say much as the photos could have come from anywhere).

Can anyone offer any insight?

I have a real one and a friend bought a knock off. Cosmetically, I can't tell a difference. Functionally, not much difference either.

The only real difference I could find was that the fan pattern (the place that engages the detent to set the various positions) had more "rounded" edges on the knockoff than mine.

I will say, the Atlas is awesome. By far the nicest bipod I have ever used. I think even a knockoff is better than any Harris I've owned (my humble opinion). But of course I would recommend 'Merica made over Chinese anything. However, I will probably pick up a knockoff for my beat to shit guns and keep the real ones on my nice guns.

This is consistent with what I have heard as well.  The knock offs have stamped, not machined sprocket thingies.  Also the tension adjustment get loose on the knock offs.  I am all for supporting USA companies, and respect intellectual property. I also own an Atlas and two Accu-Shot monopods so I feel that I have contributed to BT enough to justify buying a knock off.  If only they could make their Mfg process a little cheaper.... The fact that a knock off, that supposedly functions reasonably well sells for %10 of the OEM's price is a little redic.

I watched one fall apart at my last match. One of the legs broke off under preload. Owner knew what he had and blamed himself for being cheap. Funny thing is the cost of going to the match far exceeded the price difference between the knock off and the real thing.

I didn't feel bad for him at all, serves him right for buying stolen equipment. Yes I consider the blatent knock-offs stolen as the companies that made them stole the IP.

While I don't disagree with you.......if companies wouldn't charge insane prices for their stuff.....they would be much much much harder to knock off and sell.

In other words, ridiculous prices on original stuff = way more $ and opportunity left on the table for knocking something off.

If the real one is $50 more than the knock off and is $50 better....not many people would buy the knock off.  If the knock off is $300 less than the original and almost as good.....way more people are going to say "why in the hell should I spend $300 more for 5% more quality?"

I also have no knock off gun stuff and I have no bipods.  I want an atlas, but I refuse to pay their asking.

I have an atlas and I bought an imitation to compare and give to my little brother. The knock off had stamped chrome plated parts, not machined stainless steel. The buttons were also cheaper,  the legs were pretty nice seemingly with less play than the atlas. The pivot is complete garbage. It is either super tight or worthlessly wobbly. The atlas is obviously much better quality and I won't buy another knock off but it was better than I expected.

I have an Atlas PSR amd 2 Harris S-BRM's.

If you don't need the forend space or a specific feature offered by the Atlas then get the Harris. nIt is much cheaper amd works great.  I actually kind of dislike the Atlas but bought it for my AIAT thinking it would be awesome.

I found that the only thing I really like about it is that I get a little more forend space and that I can use it as a handstop with the Larue mount while the Harris Pod-Loc would dig into my shoulder when slung and wasn't as nice to have my hand ride up against as the Atlas.

interesting

I watched a YouTube review and the thing has no limit rotation 360 degrees on the rail. Real pain in the ass to have it flipping side to side on the rail.

The tension knob comes loose is a common complaint.

Has front & back slop in the legs partially because the leg screws bottom out before adequately tightening the legs. If you shorten the screws and tighten it then the legs are too tight (unusable). Must shorten screw, apply Loctite and adjust to the proper tension and hopefully it will stay.

This.  I think the swiveling benchrest 6-9" Harris is actually better than the Atlas, except for appearance.  Get a lever for the swivel tension screw, though.

It would appear that I may not be alone in that opinion.

http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/01/05/bipod/

Like I said... it makes my stomach feel bad... so I can't buy it. 200 bucks is a bargain to keep my consciousWhew.... I have an Atlas. I wanted one a long time, and bit the bullet a year or two ago.

My stomach feels bad about this issue. Here is the problem in our world today. Chinese stole Atlas intellectual property. IF one buys the Chinese piece, we are encouraging their crappy practices.
Atlas has every right to charge whatever they want for their premium piece..... The could make it cheaper... should they? I say no.
200 bucks is not nothing. It is an American job, with American workers.
WE, as citizens have the choice. WE can make our choice. WE, ultimately will reap the results of what we have sown.
Is it bad to buy the copy? Is it ok? Hell, who am I to say. I would not... I also would not bash someone who did unless they complain about jobs moving overseas....
So, there is the issue... do you care about jobs moving overseas... to a communist country... that hates us????
Man... everyone has to make their own choice.
Both positions have merit.
Wags

Like I said... it makes my stomach feel bad... so I can't buy the copy. 200 bucks is a bargain for a clear conscious

Threads like this end up being ads for the knock off.

 
Yep and I cannot stand knock off gear.  People clearly don't understand the time it takes to design stuff like this and the machine time it takes to make them.


When I'm spending hundreds of dollars to shoot a match I'm not going to do it with products of questionable quality.  

Sure would suck to loose a leg mid match, lol.

 

 
That has been an issue with another brand of bipod whose name I won't mention that isn't a direct knock off

There is a third component to the knockoff vs original argument.  Obviously there is the price argument, and then there is the IP issue, but where I come at it is whether I am "Proffesional enough" to justify the real thing.  I have never argued the quality difference, but at what point do I make the decision that while a BMW or Benz is arguably much nicer, and better quality, I can only afford Dodges.  Do I need $3k optic to shoot a couple hundred rounds at a 100 yard range 2-3 times a year?  Do I need a $300 bipod when a $50 one will do most of the time?  If I make $25 per hour, the knockoff is 2 hours work, and the replacement when it breaks is too.  The real one is 12 hours work.  Many people take a certain pride in buying the best of the best.  I don't.

Then buy a Harris.  I cannot stand the theft of IP, I also don't want my stuff to break when I'm using it.

In my eyes that is a very poor justification to buy a knock off.


B&T makes this shirt and a sticker of the same design.  I think their feelings on it are clear.

I get what you are saying and mostly agree.  But I submit that the cheap knock offs offer an awesome niche purpose if kept in context, and do add to the bottom line of the full version makers.

Many times I have bought the knockoff knowing the quality is not there because I'm testing the concept.  Is this product going to fit my perceived need?  If not, I give away the knock off and don't buy the full version and I saved a gazillion dollars.  If the concept does fit my needs I will buy the full version for a gazillion dollars and be happy with the value if not the price.

Context is important though. I don't expect the cheap knockoff to be equal to the full version.  Though frankly I have been surprised a time or two.

It does.  I lost a leg on a Caldwell Harris knockoff during a match a few years back.  Assault pack to the rescue!  And I learned a valuable lesson.